Molokai to Oahu

Paddling: I like to describe it as a cross between a surfboard and a canoe. You lay down on it and paddle it, like a surfboard. But, it is made of lighter weight foam, sometimes even hollow, and has more of a hull shape to the bottom, for hydrodynamic efficiency. It is not to be confused with Stand Up Paddling (SUP), which is definitely all the rage right now. Paddleboarding is a much more fringe sport with a rich history in Hawaii and a popular cross-training summer sport for serious winter surfers. My original intention for getting into paddleboarding was to develop my 'big board' paddling skills and to maintain my surf skills for big waves throughout the summer. I was able to do this. Paddling helped develop my upper body strength and my endurance. But, I also realized that paddling has it's own appeal. Paddling gets you out on the water no matter what the surf is doing, and it allows you to remove yourself from the chaos of the 'line-up'. You can plan your route and get an actual workout, rather than sitting around waiting for inconsistent summer surf. Paddleboarding can be an activity and transportation. It's not just riding waves, but it takes you somewhere. I've definitely seen more Oahu coastline from my paddleboard than from my surfboards. Fleeing dead whale-scavenging Tiger sharks outside Turtle Bay. Checking the reef past Revelations and Backyards. Learning the sweet spots inside Sunset. Picking the inside line all along the Miracle. Rounding the point at Waimea. Scoping the fishermen hideouts along the Makapuu corridor. Hovering in the deep water outside Hanauma. Dodging the sandbars of Keehi Lagoon. Melting into the changing blue water all along the outskirts of Maunalua Bay. Finally culminating in an eight hour endurance of the Kaiwi Channel between the islands of Molokai and Oahu.
However, the most important thing that I learned from paddleboarding is about the water. I learned how to read the waves, currents and swell and how to move with it rather than against it. This can come in quite handy when you're surfing heavy winter surf on the North Shore, fighting strong rips and diving under thick walls of foam. Whenever possible, you want to move with the water and not against it. This can make all the difference in the world when you're fatigued or when it gets critical.